Rising consumer expectations are driving change throughout the supply chain. And there’s no tougher test for meeting increased expectations than Black Friday. The time is now for warehouse managers to examine the three critical success factors in warehouse labor management.

Supply chain logistics companies view veterans as a crucial pool of potential employees, and consequently they are using a range of methods to recruit and hire former members of the military for their workforces.

Through automated, rules-based wave management and replenishment, American Hotel Register Company was able to eliminate manual sortation and create multiple, tailored options to proactively release orders by type.

If there’s one lesson that we’ve learned from fine bourbon or whiskey, it’s that good things come to those who wait. Distilleries know this better than anyone. But when it’s time to get that product out the door and in the hands of distributors, the last thing a distiller wants to do is wait.

East Coast Warehouse & Distribution’s strategic port location brings both advantages and challenges. Its facility keeps supply chains rocking, serving as the crucial first step in importers’ distribution systems in the United States, through port delays and even Superstorm Sandy.

When Thermo Fisher Scientific wanted to improve worker safety in its bioproducts cold chain warehouse, it developed a novel deli-door solution that reduced the number of pickers in the cold storage and freezer spaces, dramatically improved picking safety and efficiency, and created more product storage space.

Investments in pick/put-to-light technology, wearables, robotic AGVs, high-speed conveyors, voice-directed picking, and a warehouse control system equate to an automated, smart, and efficient distribution center.

A connected warehouse maximizes warehouse efficiency, as well as positions a company to decisively navigate constant changes across the supply chain. Real-time data intelligence delivers the visibility and control needed to effect measurable improvements.

Warehouse operations no longer allow for “business as usual” practices. New initiatives and strategic investments in capital improvements will lead to greater returns in productivity, profitability, and customer satisfaction. Investing in the latest materials handling equipment, WMS technology, and physical building improvements will result in a fully integrated distribution center.

Nutrabolt’s rapid growth created several logistics challenges, including processing orders efficiently and quickly; absorbing dramatic swings in order volumes to support promotional campaigns; and providing omni-channel fulfillment through a single warehouse. A third-party logistics partnership with Kane Is Able helped Nutrabolt meet these challenges.

Supply management professionals are increasingly accepting cross-functional cooperation in purchasing, supply management, production and inventory control to optimize overall company performance and increase competitiveness.

When a merger required Nature’s Way to consolidate distribution facilities, it called on the services of system supplier The Numina Group for a new design and technologies. Today, the facility successfully distributes products to customers in 50 states, and overseas through five supply chain channels.

Technology management can affect warehouse operations’ connectivity during and after a power outage. Whether the facility’s warehouse management system (WMS) is installed on-site, delivered via a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) program, or hosted in the cloud can have a huge impact on maintaining productivity, writes John Sterling of Foxfire Software.

Parties storing goods in warehouses need to be alert to liens on their goods, writes Ron Leibman of Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland, & Perretti LLP. To avoid unpleasant surprises, both parties to a warehousing agreement must understand their rights and the documents that cover their transactions.

Continuous e-commerce growth has prompted an increasing number of retailers to use third-party logistics (3PL) providers for handling their direct-to-consumer fulfillment. Jeffrey B. Graves of Sedlak Management Consultants explains that for retail logistics executives, assessing 3PL capabilities that best fit their company’s requirements can be a challenge, yet critical for optimum return on investment (ROI)

By working together to align the processes by which shippers tender freight and carriers receive it, supply chain partners can achieve greater efficiency at the loading dock while improving safety, quality, performance, and margins for all stakeholders.

Mexico-based automotive glassmaker Vitro Automotive opened a distribution center in the United States to serve Detroit automakers just-in-time requirements. Its long-time logistics service provider Evans Distribution Systems staffed the new DC for Vitro to ensure a quality workforce.

Industrial property developers are cultivating greener distribution facilities and nurturing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards compliance. The bounty? A harvest of benefits for their tenants.

Smart companies carefully select and intelligently apply automation not only to boost productivity, but also to turn the distribution center into a competitive weapon, writes Mick Mountz of Kiva Systems Inc.

Warehouse operations no longer allow for “business as usual” practices. New initiatives and strategic investments in capital improvements will lead to greater returns in productivity, profitability, and customer satisfaction. Investing in the latest materials handling equipment, WMS technology, and physical building improvements will result in a fully integrated distribution center.

Implementing material handling automation within a distribution center requires an experienced systems integration, which acts as a matchmaker to ensure the software communicates fully and freely with the facility’s equipment.

Rising consumer expectations are driving change throughout the supply chain. And there’s no tougher test for meeting increased expectations than Black Friday. The time is now for warehouse managers to examine the three critical success factors in warehouse labor management.

Companies are beginning to understand that they need to develop a labeling strategy to meet all of the challenges of today’s global supply chain. Here's how to implement an enterprise labeling approach.

Investments in pick/put-to-light technology, wearables, robotic AGVs, high-speed conveyors, voice-directed picking, and a warehouse control system equate to an automated, smart, and efficient distribution center.

Good data assists fleet managers in budgeting short- and long-term costs, determining correct fleet size, and evaluating whether to lease or buy new equipment. Use these tips to get the most out lift truck fleet data.

The winter of 2013-14 disrupted the intermodal shipping industry in North America, causing service problems and impeding growth. However, intermodal now offers a number of attractive advantages for shippers, particularly as rail operations pour resources into their intermodal efforts to strengthen service and compete with trucking. Sites that specialize in intermodal utilize innovations to streamline the process and apply new resources to make for an increasingly efficient and effective distribution process.

Oregon-based manufacturer Blount International was bleeding money from leaks all across its supply chain. It found that the correct application of the right data management technology provided and maintained by the right partner was the solution to the problem.

With the growth of e-commerce, retailers have identified a potential opportunity to reduce working capital by thinning inventory at brick-and-mortar stores—opting instead to maintain major portions of inventory at distribution centers upstream.

Through automated, rules-based wave management and replenishment, American Hotel Register Company was able to eliminate manual sortation and create multiple, tailored options to proactively release orders by type.

If there’s one lesson that we’ve learned from fine bourbon or whiskey, it’s that good things come to those who wait. Distilleries know this better than anyone. But when it’s time to get that product out the door and in the hands of distributors, the last thing a distiller wants to do is wait.

To help combat counterfeiting, the premium beverage industry is taking advantage of serial numbers on product packages to uniquely identify each product for increased connectivity throughout packaging operations and the supply chain.

When Thermo Fisher Scientific wanted to improve worker safety in its bioproducts cold chain warehouse, it developed a novel deli-door solution that reduced the number of pickers in the cold storage and freezer spaces, dramatically improved picking safety and efficiency, and created more product storage space.

A connected warehouse maximizes warehouse efficiency, as well as positions a company to decisively navigate constant changes across the supply chain. Real-time data intelligence delivers the visibility and control needed to effect measurable improvements.

Determining the best location for a new or expanding business in an increasingly competitive and global marketplace is challenging. These locations offer a number of advantages when it comes to meeting today’s logistics and supply chain needs.

When a merger required Nature’s Way to consolidate distribution facilities, it called on the services of system supplier The Numina Group for a new design and technologies. Today, the facility successfully distributes products to customers in 50 states, and overseas through five supply chain channels.

An order management system from DF Young and Superior Technology helps Cintron Beverage Company boost inventory accuracy, fulfill orders easily and quickly, and track products throughout the supply chain.

Online retailers seeking new sites for DCs and warehouses need the transportation infrastructure to support a constant, rapid-fire flow of shipments – plus a capable workforce, affordable utilities, and business incentives to help them get the most from their investment.

Schwan’s Home Services optimized its distribution network by using a hybrid insourced/outsourced model; and Sun-Maid Growers of California used collaborative distribution to create better economies of scale in its transportation operations.

Yard and dock management systems use real-time and physical data to assist facilities in efficiently managing operations such as loading dock visibility, live and staged trailer coordination, and turn time management, writes Eric Breen of 4SIGHT.

Savvy distribution and supply chain managers should be looking at sortation and its related disciplines as a means of addressing problems and achieving savings, writes Jay Moris of Invata Intralogistics.

Inbound raw materials and components and outbound shipments that are centrally crossdocked, then line-hauled to final destination, support Lean manufacturing and ensure just-in-time inventory, writes David J. DiSanto of DiSanto & Associates.

Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) can be an efficient materials handling option for warehouses and distribution centers, but they are not right for every facility. Norm Saenz, senior vice president and principal, TranSystems Corporation, offers advice on deciding if AS/RS is right for your facility.

Pharmaceutical manufacturer Catalent upgraded its Philadelphia packaging center’s high-bay warehouse with an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) served by three aisle-changing stacker cranes developed by LTW Intralogistics.

Mexico-based automotive glassmaker Vitro Automotive opened a distribution center in the United States to serve Detroit automakers just-in-time requirements. Its long-time logistics service provider Evans Distribution Systems staffed the new DC for Vitro to ensure a quality workforce.

Using lean components as a foundation for labor management is a powerful way to increase productivity and reduce costs in a warehouse or distribution center, according to Ryder Supply Chain Solutions’ Jeff Boudreau.

Thanks to e-commerce, many distribution centers are now fulfilling a greater number of smaller orders – rendering conventional materials handling automation systems somewhat outdated. Is flexible automation the next frontier?

Slotting is the concept of using data analysis to assign every part a location based on its specific attributes. Determining the best type of storage equipment, stock quantity, and location for each stock keeping unit (SKU) yields more efficient picking operations, writes Christian Rueckerl.

A comprehensive supply chain labor management solution that automates processes such as hiring, time, and attendance, and scheduling can help control costs, minimize compliance risk, and improve productivity, says Malysa O'Connor, Kronos.

Colgate took more than four million miles out of its network while handling five percent more cases of product – and even managed to cut logistics costs, sharing the savings with customers and suppliers.

Pallet management helps shippers uncover efficiencies and economies in their supply chain. Wood, plastic, and aluminum pallets all carry specific benefits, which can often be delivered via a pallet pooling service.

RFID technologies allow computers, objects, and individuals to interact in new ways, supplying logistics providers and materials handlers with predictable and actionable data to enhance their service offerings and operations, explains Ravi Pappu of ThingMagic.

Amazon closes Texas distribution facility over sales tax dispute; Robert Guenther of United Fresh Produce Association comments on FDA Food Safety Modernization Act; U.S. General Services Administration rolls out green guidelines for government suppliers; Crossdocking use is on the rise

For shipping and receiving, there are three types of pallet programs: single-use or one-way, extended-use or buy/sell, and leasing or rental. Hillary Femal of IFCO Systems describes the uses and benefits of each type.

Small and mid-sized manufacturers lack the scale to ship in full truckloads, creating thousands of separate, inefficient lines of supply—all moving to the same mass retailers. Collaborative distribution reduces the number of trucks on the road and cuts distribution costs.

Smart companies carefully select and intelligently apply automation not only to boost productivity, but also to turn the distribution center into a competitive weapon, writes Mick Mountz of Kiva Systems Inc.